Question eGPU help

[ZakYOLO]

Help in picking best option for an eGPU upgrade.

Please help, thanks.


I live in a dorm and almost every 2 months for a week i go back home. I have a laptop ASUS X515EP.
to save u time, here are the specs.

i5 1135g7 - 8gb ram (thinking to up to 20) - mx330

im not sure whether my laptop has a thunderbolt or usb-c so i need help with that first of all.

now im in need of the best way for money and performance. On my mind on what i've found being an RTX 2060 and akitio node titan ($450). Though im not sure if it needs thunderbolt for my laptop and im not even sure if my laptop can handle thunderbolt or even the akitio node in general!

Another one i've seen listed is a rx 5700 xt on a razer core eGPU (\~$600) will try to negotiate down to $500 hopefully. But again, i dont know if it supports my laptop or if my laptop supports it!


Last method is the things like th3p4g3 cheap and it provides more room (physically and money wise) for a better, beastly gpu.

Though, i've not looked into them but i've heard problems of dust and unsafe risks (not to mention the fact that u have a hole under your laptop).


Above all of that, do I also need a new monitor too?? I wanted to get a monitor later for that sweet 120hz/165hz but after i buy an eGPU and start saving again.

I appreciate yall in advance!

 

[Lutfij]

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The laptop doesn't have a Thunderbolt port on it. It's a Type-C port. With that being said, you option to get an eGPU is out of the picture.

 

[Barty1884]

The laptop is USB-C , no mention of Thunderbolt support. eGPU won't be possible with enclosures, as far as I can tell.
You'd need to get creative, connecting to available PCIe slots on the motherboard - which is extremely janky.

Realistically, you're looking at $450-$500 spend on these eGPUs, so I assume that's the budget you're working with?
With that, I'd suggest you're better off selling your current laptop ($150-$200) and buying something with a decent dGPU.
Won't be as powerful as some of the GPUs you've stated..... but, examples - limited to "refurbished" or "new" rather than "used":

i7-9750H + 2070:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3251435492...Bk9SR6yR3-CPYw&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=2000

i5-12450H _ 3050:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1559137175...Bk9SR6yR3-CPYw&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=2000

i7-12650H + 3060:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1260961082...1ykrGNHz4E3qt7w==|tkp:Bk9SR8DX1-CPYw&LH_BIN=1

Just as examples.

 

[ZakYOLO]

The laptop is USB-C , no mention of Thunderbolt support. eGPU won't be possible with enclosures, as far as I can tell.
You'd need to get creative, connecting to available PCIe slots on the motherboard - which is extremely janky.

Realistically, you're looking at $450-$500 spend on these eGPUs, so I assume that's the budget you're working with?
With that, I'd suggest you're better off selling your current laptop ($150-$200) and buying something with a decent dGPU.
Won't be as powerful as some of the GPUs you've stated..... but, examples - limited to "refurbished" or "new" rather than "used":

i7-9750H + 2070:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/325143549254?epid=2328046776&hash=item4bb410d546:g😛BUAAOSwafBiVY58&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA4Ckw+cFbIGnB3cNHrXaySD3x7OMr2+0Ql8TSAoB4BJExw/28FVhA+ga+YGpxUYj0o/DLZxKLnvR9jhvtwEGJOJOMZ/D9tRPkM9K5ieSt7+dBx5fRIT0Mt0cnZXmcbZPEhrF7wsjzQft1cjs4U+eFafyCJ0HkO3QQs8YzJWL0OITA4YqDWNx3Mw/YxDTefGE0Pc2inHQiAdIm/4DI/te95cOrYnVhHgblWlFf9KBXJXgTEC55SfJM6t3/PkM79wrNkvLPcXCwe0JNhD1XGpDr9sNcDXcU22x98LOuDCkHV/ys|tkp:Bk9SR6yR3-CPYw&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=2000

i5-12450H _ 3050:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/155913717563?hash=item244d2e873b:g:Xl4AAOSwt-plZPxt&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA4Mas/muq89IvkyEGDoI0xlEBgKf489QPJcxwCyi2PSNua5f4Ynm6hy7fCC2Q95EhGOrLHet5DUonkowwKBulh2UydljYhAbZ25j1xOFAlKTpEFzwHSXLKmWILOHHy1W7fVqeR/ZlegvH35ajgwGEAx80AX7UPHtAPlDYGNRne06iwZnvh6CQEpwmNwLodaUuQrwap13q5xV7kY0qfQiizsbcmzcBriWa3o1tMvGaPi1Uv9AkQvmGPNVH6AZemh/2BwD0MHJW5BA13NO4U6+N2F1zi2XgS4J3rPcy/rx90SgJ|tkp:Bk9SR6yR3-CPYw&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=2000

i7-12650H + 3060:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/126096108227?epid=7056205499&hash=item1d5be9eac3:g:yiUAAOSw1BNlb18h&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAAwP27JUaYT6x6b3aB3Junh9mkHr2tAZWGq/LzEiiKC+IA8c+uvoCdP4Gd4tbKkrloMWvNVnRVwI9WPxwNIUhDgDIeCW9/ZqzlwAzcTjdyQWCSZXq8cNqIl+tT6kGUB0t2JLX+XjgrWwcZmy8iQbyBeAqAA03D64yMJ33HibIcqpa9wipep9oisGzbM7PG5rqtkzPhCQor3mdg3i1gf6ySIL+Rrk1FSAzH+tGMTZGrloDHvalAwFs1ykrGNHz4E3qt7w==|tkp:Bk9SR8DX1-CPYw&LH_BIN=1

Just as examples.

Hey I love your reply dude, really helps. Unfortunately, im still under my parents although i am of age, im not seen as THAT level of an independent person yet. I was thinking of those eGPU yk wifi card taken out, that typa stuff. Would u recommend it? It is seemingly my only option; my only hope! It also would be better for my budget since its not an enclosure it would be a cheap pcie thingy and so much room for the GPU in terms of $$$. Appreciate your reply and would hope to hear from u again.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

Hey I love your reply dude, really helps. Unfortunately, im still under my parents although i am of age, im not seen as THAT level of an independent person yet. I was thinking of those eGPU yk wifi card taken out, that typa stuff. Would u recommend it? It is seemingly my only option; my only hope! It also would be better for my budget since its not an enclosure it would be a cheap pcie thingy and so much room for the GPU in terms of $$$. Appreciate your reply and would hope to hear from u again.

No. Using the slot and adapter in place of the WiFi will not offer full bandwidth. And if you manage to squeeze some performance, your CPU will be a choke point.

Also by the time you jank the connector through, get a GPU (that won't perform anywhere near it's potential), and enclosure and depending on enclosure an external PSU, you might as well get a new machine.

I looked into my options for doing this in the past and eGPUs have only become less popular since because they financially don't make sense for most users.

I'd suggest saving up and being happy with something good than rushing to get something now that will inevitably leave you disappointed while wasting a ton of money.

 

[ZakYOLO]

No. Using the slot and adapter in place of the WiFi will not offer full bandwidth. And if you manage to squeeze some performance, your CPU will be a choke point.

Also by the time you jank the connector through, get a GPU (that won't perform anywhere near it's potential), and enclosure and depending on enclosure an external PSU, you might as well get a new machine.

I looked into my options for doing this in the past and eGPUs have only become less popular since because they financially don't make sense for most users.

I'd suggest saving up and being happy with something good than rushing to get something now that will inevitably leave you disappointed while wasting a ton of money.

I see, very unfortunate news. Well, my situation, my laptop is almost 2 years old and it was bought at $800. I'm still under my parents, I can't save as i don't get pocketmoney i only get enough from my parents to buy food. Can't buy PC as i live in dorms and would be going back and forth from my dorm and my original place. By any chance do u have any miracle that can help my situation?

 

[DSzymborski]

There's no miracle that will do what you want to do in an effective manner; miracles make poor solutions. You need money to get a better computer and if your parents don't give you that money, then you need to earn the money somehow if you want it.